In today's society - where high-calorie foods and lack of exercise contribute to our expanding waistlines - many people turn to fad diets and unregulated supplements in an effort to drop excess weight and slide into a pair of skinny jeans. But science and experts have repeatedly informed us that these fad solutions aren't the smartest or best way to lose the flab.
So it's refreshing to visit www.RefrigeratorRaid.com, run by an anonymous blogger with the name of Midnight Raider, since it mixes weight loss and health news with practical advice and tips. You might find an article about making time for exercise in even the busiest schedules, or adding more vegetables to your daily diet. But you won't find any articles that promote fad supplements or diet pills.
Midnight Raider graciously agreed to an interview.
Morgan Vermeil: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. I'm curious: Why "Midnight Raider"?
Midnight Raider: My identity and the name of my blog are linked. I'm Midnight Raider because I often raid the refrigerator for a midnight snack.
Vermeil: You raid the refrigerator at midnight? How do you stay so lean?
Midnight: I make healthy choices, which is the same type of lifestyle I try to promote on my blog. Rather than eating cookies and brownies for a midnight snack, I choose things like fresh veggies, hummus and pita, or even a bowl of whole grain cereal.
Vermeil: According to your "About Me" section of your blog, you used to be heavier. "Jiggle" was the word you used to describe your body. So what was your secret for losing the weight?
Midnight: No secret. It's all about healthy diet, moderating portions and exercising more. I know it's not as exciting and glamorous as those fad diets or pills that promise you'll lose thirty pounds in a week. But if you're looking for weight loss that will stay off, you need to lose it the smart way. You need to make a lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet change.
Vermeil: So do you practice what you preach? Tell us about your exercise routine.
Midnight: I get some type of exercise five or six days a week. Typically I run, lift weights, or do some martial arts drills. I mix it up, of course. Some days I do yoga, other days I jump on the elliptical machine. But I usually do some type of exercise for about an hour each day.
Vermeil: And what about your diet? Do you eat healthy, too?
Midnight:Well, food is my weakness, as my identity implies. But I try to eat as healthy as possible. I generally have five or six mini-meals a day instead of three big ones. I stick mostly with whole grains, veggies and lean protein sources like tofu. A typical breakfast for me would be plain oatmeal, fresh fruit and some walnuts. A typical dinner would be stir-fried broccoli, carrots and tofu served over some brown rice.
Vermeil: Wow! That's really healthy. Seems impossible to maintain.
Midnight: It is. Although I don't like to call them "cheat" meals, there are plenty of occasions when I eat whatever I want. Pizza, pasta, mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits… I have a weakness for white, starchy foods! I never deprive myself. If I want it, I eat it. I just eat a small portion. A good diet is all about balance and moderation. If you crave a piece of chocolate, you should have it. Just pay attention to your body so you eat just enough to satisfy your physical craving, rather than overeating to satisfy an emotional need.
Vermeil: RefrigeratorRaid.com is a fairly new blog, yet you seem entirely devoted to it. You even update on weekends! What made you decide to start this blog, and why are you so dedicated?
Midnight: After I lost a few pounds and starting getting healthier, friends and family began asking for advice. Most of them were stuck on the ideas of fads or misguided information. They'd read headlines in the newspaper and think it was all truth. For example, not long ago there was a big study where the headlines said something like, "Low fat diet doesn't protect against cancer." And everyone around me was talking about it as if it were the gospel truth.
Vermeil: And it wasn't?
Midnight: No! Aside from the fact that this was only one study, many of the newspapers failed to report on a lot of the limitations of the research. The subject group consisted only of older women. None of the subjects actually stuck to their "low fat" diet. It was actually more of a "moderate fat" diet.
Vermeil: What does that mean?
Midnight: It means the newspapers were looking to write exciting headlines rather than really inform the public. When friends and family started talking to me about diet and fitness, I could tell they didn't really understand some of the things they'd been reading. And I know many people are confused by the conflicting health information they read in the newspaper and in magazines. So I thought a blog that discussed current health news - paired with practical advice - would help offer some guidance.
Vermeil: How do you decide what to write about each day?
Midnight: I pick the current news articles that I think will be most useful to my visitors.
Vermeil: If your blog accomplishes just one thing, what do you hope it will be?
Midnight: Changing people's lives. Not a small task, right? But living healthy - whether it's by losing weight, or getting fit, or eating more nutritious foods - can make a difference in all aspects of our lives. It gives us more energy and more confidence. It allows us to be more effective in our careers, our relationships and our hobbies. We feel better about our lives because we're taking better care of our health. And something like that is really priceless.
Vermeil: Any plans for RefrigeratorRaid.com's future?
Midnight: It's just a baby right now - not even a toddler yet in "blog years." I'm dedicated to providing useful information to my readers. For now, that's my main focus.
Source article: News Blog and free blog headers and the Journal and Blogging Guides and free blog site
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